1. food and drink

Healthy Tums Happy Tots
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Healthy
Contents
Tums
Happy Tots
Eating well in the preschool
years is important for
children as during this
time they are growing
and developing very quickly.
3
Young children need
a balance of healthy food
4
Drinks
4
Healthy teeth
5
Salt/sodium
5
Meals & snacks
6
Portion sizes
6
Great recipe suggestions
Healthy eating for young children is different from that
of older children and adults. Children under 5 years
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of age need lots of energy and nutrients relative
to their size, as they only have small stomachs.
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This means that a low fat, high fibre diet that is
recommended for adults is not suitable for children
72012
under 5. They need food and drinks that will give them
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enough energy and nutrients to grow and develop
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and keep them going as they are active all day. Partn
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Fussy eating
Meal time routine
Vitamin supplements
Artificial sweeteners
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Let’s get moving
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Useful websites
Healthy Tums Happy Tots
Young children need
a balance of healthy food
To achieve this they need a variety of foods every day from the 4 main food groups.
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STARCHY FOODS
DAIRY
FOODS
Examples: Bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice,
other grains, pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals.
Examples: Milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais.
Nutrients: Carbohydrate, energy, fibre, vitamin B
and iron.
Nutrients: Calcium, protein and vitamin A.
How much should children eat?
4 portions ,1 portion should be part of each main
meal (breakfast, lunch, tea) and at least one snack.
How much should children eat?
3 portions each day as part of meals, snacks
or drinks.
Notes:
Young children should have a variety of white and
wholemeal/grain as too much fibre can fill them up
and prevent them getting all the nutrition they need.
Notes:
Good source of calcium to build strong bones and
teeth. Low fat dairy food such as milk, yoghurts and
cheese should not be given to children under 5 years.
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FRUIT
& VEGETABLES
Examples: Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced fruit
and vegetables, and pulses.
Nutrients: Various vitamins and minerals, and fibre.
How much should children eat?
Aim for your child to eat at least 5 child sized portions
of fruit and vegetables each day. A child sized portion
of fresh fruit/veg is roughly the amount that would fit in
the palm of their hand. Include one of these foods at
each meal time and some snack times.
Notes:
Try to give your child fruit and vegetables in a rainbow
of colours so they get all the nutrients they need.
Dried fruit and juices should only be served at meal
times due to their effect on tooth decay.
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MEAT, FISH,
NUTS & PULSES
Examples: Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, meat
alternatives, pulses (e.g. lentils, beans and peas) and nuts.
Nutrients: Protein, iron, zinc, omega 3 oils, vitamins A & D.
How much should children eat?
Serve twice per day for children who eat meat and 2-3
times per day for vegetarian children. Try to include oily
fish in your child’s diet once a week. Oily fish include tinned
or fresh salmon, mackerel, sardines, pilchards, trout or
fresh tuna.
Notes:
Whole nuts should not be given to children under
5 because of the risk of choking. Boys should have no
more than 4 portions of oily fish per week, girls no more
than 2 portions. Shark, marlin and swordfish should not
be given to toddlers because of the high levels of mercury
they can contain.
Adapted from Eat Better Start Better, School Food Trust 2012.
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Healthy Tums Happy Tots
Drinks
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It is important that children
drink enough fluid; this
will prevent dehydration,
headaches and constipation
•
•
Toddlers should be offered
6-8 drinks (100-120ml) per
day, or more if they are very
active or the weather is hot
To limit damage to teeth
caused by drinks:
• Drink only milk and water
between meals
•
Drinks should be given in
a free flow cup (one that
will leak if tipped over!)
or beaker from 6 months
of age and bottles should be
discouraged after 12 months
Between meals avoid: all
sugary or sugar free drinks,
such as squash, fizzy drinks,
flavoured water, juice drinks,
milk shakes, flavoured milks
etc.
• If young children have fruit
juice, this should be only
given at meal times. ‘Fresh’
unsweetened juice should
be diluted 1 part juice
to 10 parts water
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Did you know?
Sugar free drinks cause harm to
teeth as they contain acids which
can erode tooth enamel.
Children under 5 years of age
should not drink tea or coffee; this
is because they contain tannins
which reduce the absorption of
iron. Children need iron but many
children under 5 do not get enough
in their diets.
Top tip:
Try making your own flavoured
water by adding slices of orange
or lemon, cucumber or whole
strawberries to a jug of tap water
and leaving in the fridge for a few
hours before serving at meal time.
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Healthy teeth
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Tooth decay is caused by eating sugary food and drinks:
•
The amount of sugar and how often we eat it contributes to tooth decay –
therefore sugary drinks and food should be kept to meal times only
•
Plain water and milk are tooth kind drinks for children
Baby teeth are just as important as adult teeth:
•
They are needed for eating healthy foods and speaking clearly
•
They affect a child’s appearance and willingness to smile
•
They keep the space for the permanent teeth to come through
We all know that food and drinks such as sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cakes and fizzy
drinks are high in sugar, but a lot of foods and drinks such as fruit yoghurts, breakfast
cereals, dried fruit, snack bars and children’s drinks can also be high in sugar.
Amount
A lot
A little
Sugar per 100g food/drink
15g
5g
Try to look at food labels to see how
much sugar is in the foods you consume
using the table as a guide.
Healthy Tums Happy Tots
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Salt/Sodium
Too much salt can
be harmful to a baby’s
kidneys and increase the
chance of them having
high blood pressure
when they are older.
Salt should not be added to babies’
and young children’s food during cooking
or when it is served and babies should
not be given foods with added salt.
Most of the salt we consume is already
in the foods we eat such as ham,
cheese, breads and breakfast cereals,
as well as convenience foods like ready
meals, tinned soups, ready made
sauces, take aways, gravy granules
and crisps etc. Try to look at food labels
Amount
A lot
A little
Salt per 100g food
1.5g
0.3g
Sodium per 100g food
0.6g
0.1g
to see how much salt is in the foods
you consume using the table as a guide.
(If sodium is listed on food labels multiply
it by 2.5 to find the amount of salt.)
Remember: Ingredients used to flavour
food such as stock cubes and soya
sauce, are high in salt.
Top tip: Try using herbs and/or spices
to flavour foods rather than salt and other
ingredients high in salt. If you are not sure
how much herbs/spices to add, start
with a pinch and taste as you go –
you can always add more.
Meals & snacks
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Toddlers have high energy and thu
Pa
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en meals.
HM have 2-3 snacks betwe
that they eat 3 meals per day and
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Snack suggestions:
• Any type of bread – naan, sliced
loaf, bread buns, pitta, chapatti etc.
(using a variety of white, wholemeal
& granary)
• Sandwiches with a variety of fillings
• Fresh fruit
• Vegetable sticks (cucumber, carrot,
peppers, celery etc.) with dips
• Slices of cheese
• Plain yoghurt (with added fruit
to sweeten)
Pitta bread, fish pate and
apple chunks. Photo by
Caroline Walker Trust CHEW
making
Why not try s/pate:
your own dip
1-2
Mix together
of natural
tablespoons
1-2
yoghurt and
of soft
tablespoons
e base
cheese as th
and try one
wing
of the follo
to flavour:
Did you know?
Dried fruit coun
ts as part
of your 5-a-da
y and many
people buy sm
all packs of dr
ied
fruit to snack
on. However,
dried
fruit is not suita
ble as a snack
as it is very hi
gh in sugar, an
d
tends to lodge
in children’s te
eth.
Dried fruit shou
ld be kept
to meal times
.
rika
of sweet pap
2
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c
in
p
• A
cucumber
• Some grated
int
ped fresh m
• Some chop
love of garlic
• 1 crushed c
r
of salmon o
• Add ½ a tin
e
p
make fish at
mackerel to
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Healthy Tums Happy Tots
Portion sizes
It is often difficult to gauge what
is the correct portion size for your child,
as the amount of food young children
eat will vary from day to day and even
meal to meal.
Having smaller ‘child size’ plates will help you serve appropriate
portion sizes for your child. Children will often know when they are
full or have had enough to eat, look for signs such as pushing the
plate aside, refusing to swallow the food in their mouth, turning
their head away from food.
There is some evidence that very young children (under 2 years)
will eat what they need and no more (whatever size portion they
are given), whereas older children may eat more than they need
when given a larger portion. Asking them to finish everything
on their plate can encourage them to over eat.
For more information on portion sizes visit the infant and
toddler forum and change4life websites (see page 8).
Images show meals for a typical 2 1/2 year old served on child sized
plates (20cm in diameter) taken from www.cwt-chew.org.uk
Great recipe suggestions
Spanish melette
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients
6 eggs, whisked
1 pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
100g/4oz strong cheddar, grated
12 small new potatoes, halved and boiled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Method
1. In a large pan or wok, gently heat
the oil. Add the vegetables and cook
until soft
2. Add the potatoes and cook until they
begin to go crispy
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for
a further 2 minutes
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4. Add the whisked eggs to the
12
2a0fork, drag
vegetable mix and using
s
ip
the mixture from around
rsh the sides
e
into the middle
n of the pan. Do this
artbegins to scramble
until the P
mix
5.
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Then
© turn the heat down and cook
for a few minutes or until the mixture
begins to just firm up
6. Sprinkle the omelette with cheese
and place under a hot grill. Cook for
10 minutes or until golden and the
eggs have set all over
7. Allow to cool down before
cutting into finger sized pieces for
babies
Cheesy Chicken
Nuggets
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
4 skinned chicken breasts cut
into chunks
2 eggs
2 handfuls of flour
1 handful of oats
1 handful of Parmesan cheese,
finely grated
Method
1. Preheat oven to Gas 6/200°C/430°F.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk
and set aside
3. Put the oats and Parmesan cheese
into a bowl, mix and set aside
4. Coat the chicken pieces in the flour
and then dip each one into the egg
and then the oat mixture
5. Place the coated pieces onto a
baking sheet and cook for 15
minutes or until chicken is cooked
and the coating is golden and crisp
Recipes taken from the Food for Families
booklet – Liverpool Community Dietitians
and Food Workers.
Top tip
For more quick easy
recipes see the Liverpool
Community Food Workers
web link on page 8.
Healthy Tums Happy Tots
Fussy eating
Periods of fussy eating are common in children under 5.
It can take 10 attempts for new foods to be accepted.
Here’s 10 tips to help fussy eaters:
8.
Try a reward chart to encourage children to try
new foods
Give small portions – seconds can always
be offered
1.
Never force a child to eat
9.
2.
Gently encourage but if child refuses food take
the food away without passing judgement
10. Involve children in food preparation & choices
3.
Praise when children eat well
4.
Introduce new foods one at a time
5.
Have a meal time routine
6.
Sit with your child during meal times & eat the
same food – if children eat with you they will watch
how you eat and even if they refuse food at first they
may begin to eat as they watch you
7.
Try a calm activity before meals are served,
such as sharing a book
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Vitamin
supplements
The Department of
Health recommends that
children aged 6 months
to 5 years are given a daily
supplement containing
Vitamins A, C & D.
Unless they are drinking 500ml
(a pint) of infant formula a day
(infant formula has vitamins
added to it).
FREE vitamin A, C & D drops
are available from the Healthy
Start scheme, which is available
to families on low incomes and
pregnant women under 18 years
of age www.healthystart.nhs.uk
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Meal time
sweeteners Routine
Artificial
©
Avoid food and drinks
containing artificial
sweeteners.
Examples of common sweeteners are:
Aspartame, saccharin and sorbitol.
These are often found in items which are
labelled ‘sugar free’ or low sugar such as
squashes and other drinks and yoghurts.
Having a meal time routine can
help children to eat well, try:
•
Eating meals as a family,
if possible at a table
•
Eat away from distractions
such as TV, toys and games
•
Children only have small
stomachs so time their meals
and snacks so they can eat
regularly (no more than
3 hours apart)
Did you know?
Artificial sweeteners and colours are not allowed to be added to foods designed
for infants and young children, this is because some sweeteners can cause
diarrhoea in young children and there are some concerns about certain
colours affecting behaviour in some children. See www.food.gov.uk for more
information.
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Useful
Websites
LET’S GET
Moving
Change4Life
www.nhs.uk/start4life
www.nhs.uk/Change4Life
British Nutrition Foundation
www.nutrition.org.uk
Infant and Toddler Forum –
Little People’s Plates
www.infantandtoddlerforum.org
Healthy Start
www.healthystart.nhs.uk
NHS Choices
www.nhs.uk/livewell
North West Dental Health
www.northwestdentalhealth.nhs.uk
Breastfeeding website for Liverpool
www.amazingbreastmilk.nhs.uk
Encourage your child to be active
every day – move more, move often.
Liverpool Active City
www.liverpoolactivecity.co.uk
Being active is important for the growth and development of all babies
and children. For babies, movement such as rolling, pushing, playing
and crawling should be encouraged.
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Once your child is able to walk, at least 3 hours of activity spread
20
ps
i
throughout the day will help keep them healthy. This includes general
h
ers
movement, standing up, playing etc., as well as more energetic
nactivities
t
r
such as a trip to the park, playing catch, a game of hide and
Paseek,
dancing to music etc.
HM
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Activity Ideas
Caroline Walker Trust
www.cwt.org.uk
Taste for Health
www.tasteforhealth-liverpool.nhs.uk
Heart of Mersey
www.heartofmersey.org.uk
Liverpool Community Food Workers
www.liverpoolcommunityhealth.nhs.uk/
health-services
Can Cook Studio
www.cancook.co.uk
• Have a race to see who can
get dressed the fastest
• Pretend to be your favourite
animal
• Make a den from chairs
and sheets
• Organise a treasure hunt
inside or outside
• Jumping in puddles
• Walk or skip to the shops
• Who can do the most star
jumps?
• Dance to your favourite song
when it comes on the radio
For more ideas on activities for your children go to the Start4Life/
Change4Life or Liverpool Active City websites
Sportslinx
www.sportslinx.org
Allergy UK
www.allergyuk.org
If you have any comments about this
document please contact us at
[email protected]
or Tel: 0151 928 7830
Developed in partnership with:
6580
Special thanks to the children of Everton Nursery School and Family Centre for the use of their photos.
© HM Partnerships 2012